


End Of The Line

by Introverted_Cupcake_x



Category: Rockman.EXE | Mega Man Battle Network
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Angst, Bittersweet, Death, M/M, Medical Trauma, Multi, OC, Stabbing, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-09
Updated: 2019-04-09
Packaged: 2020-01-07 13:13:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,863
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18411362
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Introverted_Cupcake_x/pseuds/Introverted_Cupcake_x
Summary: NetSaviours Enzan and Blues have finally reached the end of the line, and it's vital that they make their choice that could either sever their connection or strengthen it.





	End Of The Line

**Author's Note:**

> This is set when Netto and Enzan are 20 years old, fighting an organisation known as Pollux. However, tragedy strikes and Yuuichiro Hikari's old wounds have opened...

Netto’s mind spun while the sirens from emergency vehicles screamed all around him. Someone’s holding him upright, desperately yelling, but the high-pitched ringing still persisted. Then Rock’s face came into his line of vision and he finally understood the shouting. Netto slowly rose his hands to his ears, feeling blood stain the tips and he remembered that he is a walking slab of flesh controlled by a very puzzled brain that picked the wrong moment to relax and the young man is quickly overwhelmed by the carnage all around him.

“Netto!” Rock cried out, firmly holding his shoulders. “Please say something! It’s over now!”

But a sob left Netto’s throat before he tightly hugged Rock, eyes seeing half of the SciLab property levelled in the attack and some bodies of the injured and… dead being carried to safety. But then his blood jolted and he broke free from Rock and sprinted, frantically searching.

“ENZAN! BLUES!” he shouted, heart racing.

Rock ran up to him, seizing his wrist but also looking around until he gasped and the two ran towards the obliterated power generator outhouse where they found someone impaled with steel rods, gasping and choking while wide eyes looked through the shattered visor to see the two run up to him. Netto immediately fell to his knees, staring at the long rods that were run through the torso, shoulder, thighs and one that ran through the side of his neck…

“I’ll get help!” Rock burst and charged as fast as he could while the brunette helplessly held Enzan’s still hand.

“Why are you still cross-fused?!” Netto finally yelled before gulping.

But the fusion said nothing, just staring at him blankly.

The words died in his mouth, absolutely lost for words. But Netto can see that the injuries are far too grievous to survive.

_ ‘It can’t be… Enzan can’t die here! Not when Pollux are still active! Pollux…’  _ Netto’s hand gripped Enzan’s tighter as angry tears roll down his cheeks.

“Enzan!” he croaked and the eyes flicker in apparent acknowledgment. “You gotta live! I-if you don’t, I don’t know what I’ll do! We won’t know how to carry on if you just go on and die like this! You still gotta help me kick Pollux’s ass! They took a lot from everyone and WE are the only ones who can destroy them!”

Urgent voices burst through the faint rainfall and Netto’s desperation shot up as Rock gently held his shoulders to pull him away.

“You can’t leave us behind, Enzan! Blues! You can’t leave m-me behind! ENZAN! BLUES!”

Gritting his teeth, Rock threw his arms around Netto’s waist and yanked him back to his feet, giving the emergency crew room to deal with the impaled victim.

* * *

 

The hospital is too white. Too clean. Too sharp with disinfectants. Too many people crying and too many dying, dying, dying--

“Netto,” Rock whispered into his twin’s ear as they sat on a sofa together with his arm around his waist, outside the Operating Theatre with it’s sharp LED sign switched on. “Let’s… get you some water to drink.”

“I’m fine,” Netto whispered, obviously not fine. He hasn’t slept or rested. His mind is still at the fight back at SciLab… no, it was a massacre. Humans, viruses, programs, Navis... nobody got spared. Rock can see the involuntary twitches in his hands squeezing a stress ball until it began to take on permanent dents much like the NetSaviour’s psyche.

“Some have been discharged already,” Rock comments, raising his arm to stroke his back, rubbing circles through the linen of the ruined labcoat Netto still wore before cross-fusing--

Bile rose to his mouth and Netto immediately threw his head down the bin beside them, throwing up the breakfast from hours and hours ago as well as dark brown lumps that made him pale upon seeing them.

Rock ran to his side before screaming for help, and an unoccupied doctor immediately saw the bloody vomit and had Netto taken to be checked for internal injuries.

Another few hours without a meal or water, but at least Netto is tucked in a clean hospital bed, staring at the blank wall opposite him. Rock held his hand, uncertain of what to say or comment after his operator almost died from a stomach ulcer caused by - surprise, surprise - stress.

The door opened and a man that Netto vaguely recognised entered before murmuring to the following doctor for privacy and he approached the intern.

“Netto… Dr Hikari told me to relay you a message from the hospital wing at SciLabs.”

He said nothing. His eyes might as well be empty.

“He wants you to come over as soon as possible. Something about ‘an important decision’ and…” he took a deep breath, thinking. “He also told me to say ‘Saito.’ What does it mean?”

Rock bristled, hand tightening over Netto’s and his eyes finally focused on Professor Bore.

“That’s all?” he spoke hoarsely.

The man nodded before turning to leave.

“Yes. But I’ll tell him that you’ve been hospitalised t--”

“No, if it’s urgent, I gotta...” Netto quickly said, swinging his legs over the edge only to grunt dizzily and held his head. The drugs are kicking in…

“Netto,” Rock whispered, but the other male persisted, stepping into his shoes and attempting to tie his laces but flinched at the sharp jab of pain in his abdomen.

“D-d-damn it…”

Professor Bore took his leave, unable to bear to witness the sorry state.

Quickly, the Navi hurried to the end of the bed and unfolded a wheelchair before swiftly lifting Netto into his arms.

“No complaints - we’re getting a taxi like this,” he said immediately and carefully placed him down. “I know it’s against hospital rules to leave without being discharged, but we have to leave now.”

“Rock…?”

Why does Rock look so anxious? What’s going on? What’s alerted him?

“Netto… I think I know what’s about to happen, but it’s important that we go see Enzan and Blues right now.”

* * *

 

SciLab had been shut off to the public apart from construction workers and police investigators, but nobody batted an eyelid at a Navi in a Copybot body wheeling along a hospital patient over the rubbish-strewn path. Rock would’ve wondered about the lax security, but decided against pointing it out.

Soon, both made it to the intact half of the main building where the first aid and hospital rooms are, except Meiji spotted them and immediately led them to another section only accessible to people with Netto’s father’s clearance.

In the brightly-lit room, Netto and Rock both laid eyes on a large operating table with hundreds of coloured wires snaking in and out of Enzan’s body to sputtering machines, bags of fluids and bright numbers with erratic jolts of lines. The only people in here are Yuuichiro, Meiji, Rock, Netto and the patient, giving the room a strangely cold feeling.

“Enzan--” Netto shot to his feet, but only fell back into the wheelchair again with a groan and held his stomach. Yuuichiro ran over to them, crestfallen at his son’s state.

“What’s going on?” Rock asked, reaching over to stroke Netto’s hair. “We got your message…”

“Yeah, what’s going on?” the other male grumbled. “Enzan… Blues… Are they…”

Meiji turned away while the head scientist shut his eyes, taking a deep breath.

“The news is not good,” he admitted, hands tensing. “Simply put… both Navi and Operator are in a coma. We don’t understand how, but Blues is still fused with Enzan even though they’re in this state.”

“Then we gotta help them!” his son burst, trembling all over. “We-!”

“I know,” his father interrupted, “but we only have two options at this stage while Enzan’s in a coma. We managed to hook his ‘mind’ to the machine so that we can monitor his brainwaves as this device is similar to the Pulse Transmission Technology we’ll be able to plug-in and talk to them. That is another reason why I called you both here.”

“Just wait a minute!” Netto ranted, chest heaving. “ _ ‘Death’s door?’ ‘plug-in and talk’ _ and  _ ‘only have two options’ _ ...” His glared at his father, voice reaching a hysterical pitch. “What’s going to happen?!”

Rock’s hands held his shoulders from behind until they relaxed and he walked around the wheelchair, kneeling to his level and held his hands instead.

“Netto… Saito Hikari died from HBD, but was transferred into data to create me.” Even though Netto already knew this, mentally repeating the tragic story of his first separation in his mind during every birthday, his hot tears built-up again. “What Yuuichiro Hikari did was illegal and unethical, because nobody attempted to preserve life into data before, nevermind that of a very young child who could not think or speak for himself… or make choices.”

The deep gasps choked in Netto’s throat as he swallowed them, trying to calm down his racing heart until Rock held his cheeks, thumbs brushing the bulbous tears aside.

“Y-Y-you’re telling me… that you’ll ask Enzan if he wants to live on as a Navi...”

His Navi nods gently.

“Saito may not have been given a choice, but it was understandable and necessary. But with what we CAN do now, there’s no denying it that Enzan will want to have a say in this.”

Finally understanding, the brunette sniffed and held his hands, not helping squeezing them tightly until their fingers interlaced.

“B-but if he does accept…” he whispers, “then he won’t… and Blues…”

“It’ll depend how soon we get the answers,” Rock utters, letting go of his hands. “And I’ll ask them directly. Hang in there, Netto. I’ll be back soon.”

As if predicting Rock’s movement, Meiji pulled a chair aside for Rock to sit on when his body began to glow before breaking up into pieces of data, leaving the copybot behind and the light returned to the PET in Netto’s belt holster. Shakily, he pulled it out and aimed at where Yuuichiro quietly pointed at, and the red beam carried all of Rock’s data into Enzan’s mind.

The cyberworld definitely belongs to the LifeSupport device, but the brainwaves emanating from the corners of the blue-tinted area are instantly recognisable as Enzan’s- no wait- Enzan’s and Blues’ auras.

“Enzan! Blues!” the blue Navi cried out, voice echoing and he looked around. “This is real! Netto plugged me in to talk to you two about something REALLY important! Please show yourselves or answer! Your lives will depend on it!”

His words echoed twice until a footstep alerted him and he spun on his heel to come face-to-face with the Op-Navi fusion.

“No need to shout…” a voice grumbled. Enzan’s.

“You guys!” he blurted, stunned. “Listen, what I’m about to say is extremely important.”

“You want to see if we’ll consent to being transferred into data so that I won’t ‘die,’” Enzan’s voice interrupts dully.

“Yes!”

“We understand your concern, Rock, but we already heard everything,” Blue’s voice left the fusion’s mouth. “Some comatose people CAN hear what’s going on around them.”

“So tell me now and I’ll let Dr Hikari and Meiji-san know so that they’ll immediately help out!”

But the fusion fell quiet, looking lost. He’s wearing his usual battle outfit except the shades are missing.

“What are the odds?” Blues spoke up this time.

“It depends on the body’s state…” Rock uttered, unsure. “But the sooner we get an answer…!”

“I’ve seen what happened to my body,” Enzan murmured, holding his head. “I’m not even convinced that this whole… dream… is real. But even I know that I don’t have long to live and even if by PURE miracle I survive my wounds, I’ll be confined to a hospital bed for the rest of my life with my body riddled with donated organs and pumped with anti-rejection tablets that may or may not work.”

“Enzan…” Blue’s voice left his mouth in the same breath. It was in that moment that Rock realised that whenever he speaks, red pixels flicker in the blue irises.

The fusion took a deep shaky breath and the hands clenched.

“But I believe that you can still save Blue’s data,” Enzan said, “Blues is voluntarily holding onto me. He’s part of the reason why I’m barely clinging onto life… I can’t be saved, but he can.”

But then he choked and Rock hurried closer, seeing the irises-- no, the pupils going redder.

“What are you talking about, Enzan?!” Blues blurted, body shaking all over. “You can’t die like this! I won’t let you die!”

“It’s hopeless!” Enzan cut across. Rock just stared at the fusion and the tears dripping to the ground. “I don’t want to lose you again because of my own incompetence!”

“I can’t lose you, Enzan! You can still be saved! My data may be corrupted, but it can be replaced!”

Violently, the body lurched before dropping to the ground.

“NOBODY CAN REPLACE YOU!” Enzan’s scream pierced the computer’s cyberworld. “I’D RATHER DIE THAN LIVE WITHOUT YOU AGAIN!”

The echoes vanished and Rock reached over to hold the fusion’s shoulders, prompting him to look at him in the eye.

“Rock...” Enzan whispered, finally calming down. “What are the odds that we’ll get out of this alive?”

The blue Navi said nothing, simply leaning closer and wrapped his arms around him.

“I see…” Enzan uttered with a low chuckle, “as much chance as there was of you beating us at the N1 Grand Prix years ago…”

“I’m so sorry,” Rock muttered into his earpiece. Enzan hugged him back.

“What are you apologising for?”

“Th-there’s little to no chance that you’ll survive either way…”

Blues then said: “He’s right, Enzan. It’s why I’ll be more than willing to hold your body together until it’s healed.”

But the expression changed and Enzan snorted. “Blues… I’m dying. I can’t feel the pain in here, but once I’m conscious of the pain I’ll probably wish I died instantly.”

Before the other male could argue, the cyberworld flickered and they broke apart with gasps, seeing bits of data falling out of place to low rumbles shaking the ground.

“I really am dying…” Enzan murmured but then his eyes shone red and blue as a flash of inspiration pierced his mind. He quickly seized Rock’s hand. “Rock - we’ve made our decision!”

A second later, he stated his answer, and the blue Navi closed the gap between them for a strong hug before plugging himself out.

* * *

 

The alerts from the machines screamed, but Dr Hikari and Meiji swiftly began the process that Saito Hikari went through 20 years ago.

“Will you need my help?!” Netto burst, watching them make changes to connectors. “How are you going to do it?!”

“We already know what to do,” Meiji answered, multitasking between re-connecting wires and switching on unrecognisable programs. “Luck is the only factor now. If we can just somehow separate Enzan and Blues first--”

“Wait,” Yuuichiro said sharply and they looked at his conflicted expression. “It won’t be that easy. If Blues is keeping Enzan alive this way--” His phone suddenly rang and he swore loudly, looking at it before paling. “It’s Ijuuin Shuuseki…”

Netto and Rock exchanged panicked glances as he answered it, free hand rapidly typing on the main OS.

“Dr Hikari speaking. How may I help you?” he answers politely, if not sounding slightly frantic, but then stopped and sighed. “Yes… he’s here. It’s not looking good. He can’t breathe without the respirator and his head has taken serious trauma.” He glanced at Rock and Netto before biting his lip. “What?” He paused and Meiji grunted as he, too, waited.

Rock and Netto held hands, watching Yuuichiro’s face in anticipation until he sighed.

“Understood. We’ll do our best.” With that, he ended the call and Netto quickly spoke up.

“What’d he say?!”

“He told me to just keep him alive,” he answers, but he sounds lost as he wiped his forehead. “This… sorry, I-I need to calm down…” He pinched the bridge of his nose, taking a deep breath before glancing at Rock. “Rock… when Saito died, even though we already ‘saved’ his soul, it still tore our hearts that we lost a very young child. It took me days to save him while his body deteriorated. I started the procedure in advance because there wasn’t a cure for HBD at the time and I KNEW that Saito was going to die, but it didn’t make things any easier. But I want you two to let go of the hope that Enzan will survive without scars. I’ll do my best to keep him alive, but I don’t want to relive the moment Saito’s heart finally stopped working. As a father and a scientist, I’ll do my best.”

“I understand,” Rock murmured and Netto squeezed his hand.

* * *

 

“‘I understand’ huh?” Netto whispered while the two sat in the lobby area of SciLab to wait for a taxi, with the brunette still in the wheelchair on Rock’s insistence and the Navi on the sofa.

“I wouldn’t wish digital immortality on anyone,” his twin sighs before reaching over to hold his hand again with a slight smile. “But if I had the chance to redo everything, I’d go through it again if it means meeting you.”

Netto didn’t look at him, leaning over to rest his head on his shoulder. “Was… was HBD painful?”

“...Unimaginably so. But I’m happy that people like Mamoru get to have a second chance at life. I’m… what, on my third chance?”

“I could swear it was fourth,” Netto remarks lightly, smiling in spite of his apparent exhaustion. Rock kissed the top of his head and their fingers laced together.

“Still worth it if it means being by your side, no matter how many lifetimes I go through.”

Warming, Netto smiled and shut his eyes. “You’ve found more romance novels on the Kindle App, didn’t you?”

“H-hush, you! You need to rest!”

* * *

 

Days have passed. Although some people began to wonder why Dr Hikari has been so absorbed with research in his private lab with Meiji, they daren’t pester him lest their incur his famous wrath when he gets any interruptions during ultra-secret projects.

Neither men took many or if any breaks. 5 minute shut-eyes threaten to become hours of sleep, so caffeine was in order all around, but they both know that it’ll become dangerous running on just coffee and breakfast bars.

“How’re the organs?” Meiji suddenly spoke up, wiping his eyes as he took a quick check on the clock.

“Deteriorating. The buckets are filling up fast… grab more bandages.”

“Gah, the poor guy… Is it possible to separate them yet?”

“No. Only until the very last minute to ensure the highest maximum chance of survival for both Operator and Navi.”

“Dr Hikari?”

“Yes…?”

Meiji stopped what he was doing, looking over at the haggard scientist.

“You already know, don’t you?” he asks quietly. “The odds… are astronomically impossible.”

“We HAVE to save them,” Yuuichiro gritted his teeth. “Get back to work.”

Saying nothing, his lab partner carried on.

* * *

 

“It’s been 3 weeks already…” Netto murmured, hugging his knees to his chest as he sat in his dorm room. The building took a lot of heavy damage, but his room was mercifully spared from the carnage that still haunted everyone’s dreams in shades of black, white and red. Rock sat down beside him, winding his arm around his shoulders to hug him close. “It sure is quiet without Enzan running his mouth… And I’ve been itching to fight him…”

“Yes… I miss him and Blues too…”

“I haven’t seen Meiji or dad either… maybe... They lost them and are looking for the right time to te--”

“Netto,” Rock says sternly, but softly, “with their injuries… it’s extremely likely. But at the same time, don’t assume the worst. We’ll go see them all today, if you want.”

The intern shot him a surprised look. “Really? But I don’t have clearance.”

But Rock grinned. “I’m a Navi, remember? I’ve been in and out of SciLab’s restricted areas for years without anyone catching me.”

* * *

 

The hospital ward is finally quiet thanks to the efforts of the medical staff healing everyone, but when Rock opened the door to the private lab a sense of doom filled all of Netto’s nerves as they walked in on Dr Hikari pulling a white sheet over Enzan’s body and peaceful face.

Netto lost it, charging over screaming his friend’s name and threw himself over the body, clutching the sheet and sobbing heavily. Stunned, Rock joined his side, but looked at the familiar red PET peeking from beneath the disturbed sheet beside Enzan’s head and it’s empty screen with ‘DELETED’ repetitively flashing across the screen, and his heart dropped to his stomach.

Nobody said anything. Meiji stormed off while Dr Hikari sat down for the first time in hours and finally cried into his hands as the old wounds of 20 years ago on his heart ripped at the seams.

* * *

 

The funeral was formal, given how all the visitors are from IPC and the only family member to turn up was Shuuseki himself who kept up a stone-cold expression as if disapproving of Enzan dying so young. But other NetSaviours turned up as well given how their status puts them above the police force and their presence also provides reassuring security. However, the bags under Netto’s eyes made him look 10 years younger, especially since he hasn’t eaten properly and drastically lost weight to the point that his PET keeps refusing the Synchro Chip. Until further notice, he cannot fuse with Rock who is currently pushing his wheelchair around.

The service was secular since neither Enzan or Shuuseki showed any religious alignments, but nobody objected to a priest reading out soft hymns that brush against one’s soul as well as a couple of parables on living on through memories. But the words became nothing more than background white noise amongst the occasional sniffle from more emotional guests…

_ ‘How dare they… Nobody knew Enzan better than me!’ _ Netto thought angrily before glaring up at Rock, whispering: “Get me out. Now.”

He silently obeyed, giving a security guard an apologetic glance as the wheels of the wheelchair squeaked offensively in the chapel’s massive hall and they made it outside where Netto burst out angrily:

“Do ANY of those goddamn idiots even KNOW Enzan or who he is?! Or what’s he’s done to protect humans and Navis?! Or are they there to kiss his dad’s dick for contracts?!”

“Most of them don’t…” his Navi murmured, hands gripping the handles too tightly.

“And he’s a NetSaviour! He deserves more than just this stupid formality! Oh right, he’d get a fucking gold statue made of him and Blues set up at SciLan’s Memorial Gardens and he’d be like: _ ‘Oh look! A statue that is a smidge of a fraction of the size of my actual ego! It’s not big enough!’ _ ”

“Yes, Netto...”

“He’s a massive jerk, he’s no angel, he makes fun of me and steals my food from the cafeteria fridge!”

“...He did…”

“And… And…” Netto’s voice finally gave way and squeezed his eyes shut before gasping back teary gulps. “I’ll miss him! I-I-I’ll miss him! I’ll actually miss him b-but I already--!”

Sniffing, Rock let go and quickly threw his arms around his Op tightly, feeling him respond in kind.

About an hour later, the coffin was finally carried outside and to a strangely silent green hill not far from a large mansion that seems abandoned. Some graves are already here, but sparsely placed apart from the one which has a hole dug in the ground beside it. Stepping closer, Netto read the occupant’s name on the beautiful marble headstone, unaware of more tears streaming down his face as Rock held his hand.

Again, more stupid speeches from people who know Enzan through business… More words that went in and out of Netto’s ears as background noise and fading in the wind…

“Netto!” Rock whispered in his ear and snapping him from his trance. “It’s your turn.”

“What?” he murmured, seeing almost everyone looking at him expectantly and he shrunk, suddenly shy at the attention.

“Your turn to say goodbye,” his Navi says lowly.

“...Wheel me over.”

Public speeches always make Netto nervous unless he has a plan, but in this situation the words were doomed the moment they became coherent thoughts. Dammit, he even wrote on scraps of paper, but the words are blurring and his heart is racing and-

Rock’s hand - white-gloved to go with his formal black attire - reached into his line of sight and took the papers, murmuring: “I’ll read for you.” But the Operator seized his wrist and sputtered.

“I got it, I got it…”

People murmured in the crowd, clearly losing interest. Netto’s rage finally boiled over.

_ ‘Show Enzan that you’ll never change…’ _ Rock thought to himself, this time giving his precious love the space to rage at high-class executives without consequence.

“When I first met Enzan…” Netto began and silence befell the crowd. “He impressed me. He operated a Normal-standard Navi in the Game shop not far from my old Elementary School. I was late, but I was mesmerised by his operating skills. Then we properly met some time after that, and he insulted me, and I did react badly, so we had a great rivalry ever since then. But everything changed between us during the N1 Grand Prix final when I had the most epic NetBattle ever against him. My Navi will attest to that as he fought against Blues…”

Rock felt the soft wind brush through his hair as he thought of the empty PET being disassembled at SciLab as it’s internal circuits have been fried. However, he kept Blue’s symbol from the plastic case which has been fashioned into a simple pendant hanging from a silver chain thanks to Meiji, who has taken a leave of absence to travel far away for soul-searching. The cool plastic disc is hidden under his shirt, but it’s given the sense of comfort that Blues is always with him.

“...So I may have come second, but I wouldn’t want to be in any other position if it means being able to stand by Enzan’s side as an equal. Don’t get me wrong though…” Netto laughed a little, startling some stricter visitors. “He’s a massive jerk at times. He comes to my house to have afternoon tea with my mama, and she makes ME do all the washing up and telling me that I should be more responsible like him! But given how he’s so full of himself, I’m glad that I’m not like him because there’s nobody else like him in the entire world. He’s also awkward as hell to deal with, has no clue when it came to girls and for a good reason, he has some weird issues going on with his family and takes it out on me, but overall, he’s become my--” Netto stopped, realising how fast his heart is racing and how everybody watching him in absolute mesmerisation like Enzan’s standing beside him. The brunette glanced over his shoulder, seeing the casket still open but only the upper half with white lillies obscuring the gruesome injuries, looking like beautiful clouds. Some lilies were arranged to hide the wounds on his shoulders, neck and a particularly horrifying one where his right cheek was ripped.

“Netto?” Rock whispered and he looked at everyone again.

“...He’s become my best friend,” he said simply.

* * *

 

“Eva Ijuuin…” Rock read out from the headstone besides the newer white stone. “So judging from the date… Enzan would only have been a very young child when she died…”

Everyone else has already left long ago, but Netto insisted on staying here at Enzan’s fresh grave for a while longer even when his stomach rumbled.

“So it’s just his dad now,” he mumbled. “I saw a fat lot of him at the funeral.”

“He misses Enzan, I can tell,” the Navi says softly. “Although given what Blues told me about him, he doesn’t sound very… warm.”

Netto slowly rose from the wheelchair with a grunt and carefully went to his knees, pulling something soft and blue from his pocket. His bandana.

“Netto…”

“Take this with you, Enzan,” Netto whispered, looking at the headstone with Ijuuin Enzan’s name, birth date and death date engraved upon it before placing his bandana at the foot of it, nudged just behind a pair of vases so that it won’t get blown away. “You said my enthusiasm is infectious, so take it. You’ll need it to give God or whoever you meet a laugh.”

Rock chuckled, stroking his hair and looking at the wavering flowers. “Blasphemy isn’t going to get us those brownie points, Netto.”

“Pfft…” the other male smiled, looking up at him. “I know this’ll sound bad but… I feel… relieved?”

“I hope not, you haven’t been to the toilet since this morning.”

Netto’s mouth dropped before he wheezed and burst out laughing. As he laughed, Rock dropped to his knees to give him a tight hug, also giggling.

“I know what you mean, Netto. And it’s because Enzan’s no longer in pain, which is a good thing.”

Netto’s cold hand reached up, dipping beneath Rock’s collar to tug up the silver chain until Enzan and Blue’s symbol appeared with it’s light plastic sheen, but to them it might as well be made out of diamond.

“And Blues…?”

Rock responded by burying his face into his shoulder, mumbling: “Damage to data is extremely painful. With Enzan dead… I know that he’d rather kill himself than live on.”

“So now what?” Netto utters, and Rock’s face rose so that they’re close. “Now that they’re gone… We’ll have to step up on our game to outshine them.”

“Does this mean you’ll…”

“Get better,” he says firmly, moving so that he’s on his knees and his hands clenched into fists. “I’ll try and get regular sleep, not eat so many sweets, take my medication, go see the stupid therapist and work out at the gym more so that my body will be able to fuse with you again.”

To anyone, those would be simply resolutions that’ll be forgotten after 2 months, but Rock’s lips trembled as he smiled tearily and hugged Netto again.

“I’ll do my best too. I’ll be with you every step of the way, as always, just like Enzan and Blues. Forever.”

Forever…

…

…

…

…

…

* * *

 

Dr Hikari opened his computer in the private lab after the floor has finally been extensively cleaned of human fluids, opening a screen to focus on a Navi in hibernation within a grey-tinted glass capsule. Standing beside it, another Navi stood with familiar brown skin and beautiful eyes curiously inspecting the sleeping being.

“Well, Serenade? Will it be possible for you to keep him hidden until he activates?” Dr Hikari asked and the Navi nodded with a spin on their heel and the three long tresses of white hair swirled over the golden helmet.

“Yes. It’ll be a sanctuary where the most powerful viruses in the entire internet - and undernet - thrive and act as natural security against even powerful Navis like Forte. But Dr Hikari, this Navi…” the strange Navi hummed and rested their black-gloved hand on the glass, caressing it. “I assumed that you would never attempt to toy with a human life again.” The professor flinched.

“I had to do it… His death would’ve been extremely unfair. Pollux is still active and-”

“That’s none of my concern,” the visitor interrupts with a sigh, “as long as the Secret Area is hidden, then I won’t be concerned. But bringing this peculiar… fusion… to such a place… will he even remember who he is?”

“He will,” Dr Hikari said determinedly, “Saito remembered who he was the moment I created Rockman. He may have been only a year old when he died, but he said he remembered things that any normal human would easily forget. And with the memories of Blues and Enzan combined… they already shared a lifetime together. Any gaps in their memories will be quickly filled in and they’ll become efficient virus-busters. Won’t he be an adequate candidate to live in the Secret Area, Serenade?”

Their dark eyes turned to meet Dr Hikari’s through the screen as their lips turned up into a small smile.

“In exchange for keeping your unethical practice a secret, you’re giving me a powerful Navi that has been fused with a dying human who has been digitised to become another one of my loyal servants. Yes, that sounds PERFECTLY equal.”

“I-I don’t know about ‘loyal servan-’”

“I jest, you silly fool. I can already tell that he’ll be strong enough to even almost match me in combat.”

With a growing smile, Serenade took a closer look at the capsule’s occupant, overcome with a refreshing sense of joy at being one of the only three beings in both worlds to witness a brand new branch in human-Navi evolution.

“Enzan… Blues…” Serenade whispers, “literally together forever… Did you two even foresee this outcome? Did you two know what has become of you yet?”

“Serenade?” the professor spoke up again, sounding nervous.

“I’ll take him with me right now. But it’ll be a tremendous shock to the human side once they realise that they are a fusion of one being.”

“Officially, he is deceased and Blues was registered as deleted, so the Secret Area will be ideal to conceal them until further notice.”

They fell quiet until the graceful Navi hummed and placed both hands on either side of the capsule.

“Yuuichiro Hikari… Does Netto Hikari and Rockman know of this?”

“...No.”

“Will you ever tell them?”

“If you want me to keep silent of our agreement to preserve the safety of Secret Are-”

Serenade suddenly chuckled, hand relaxing to stroke the glass again as if caressing the fusion’s face.

“Relax… I may be a God, but I will not wreak havoc upon SciLab. However, if I did, then it would be instantaneous enough to wipe out this entire building in half a second.”

The scientist swallowed a lump.

“But no,” Serenade hums, “don’t tell them just yet. Tell them at a later date once they’ve properly mourned their deaths. They may not see him now, but they will in the future once Enzan and Blues get used to their new life together. No expectations, no societal customs to follow, no more hunger or illness or aging… Yes… Enzan will have a lot to learn about as a fully-fused Independant NetNavi without human limits.”

_ ‘I don’t even know if they’re an actual permanent fusion, but for Enzan’s sake… I hope it is,’ _ Dr Hikari thought.

“I will take my leave. Goodbye, Dr Hikari.”

With just that, the Navi and the capsule both vanished into streams of silvery data, leaving nothing behind.

* * *

 

The Secret Area is tranquil as always with the occasional screams of fools who stumble upon the area after accidentally fulfilling all qualifications to enter and the sound of waterfalls rolling over marble statues and snoozing Omega-class viruses. But sitting cross-legged upon a monolith, a burgundy Navi with his eyes closed clasped his hands together before suddenly unleashing a PaladinSword and leapt off the pillar, driving it dead-straight into the head of an Omega Ratton running at 500kpm, making it explode and vanish to reveal the shattered opalescent panel beneath it.

Coming up behind him with a delighted smile, Serenade clapped their hands.

“That timing is beautiful, but please stop obliterating the panels.”

The Navi said nothing with his red-tinted blue eyes scanning his mentor, a curious Navi who has suddenly taken him under their wing 6 months ago. The wind blew from a passing Mettaur dashing past with a Spikey pursuing it and made the Navi’s ankle-length ash-grey flutter, which Serenade noticed with a sigh.

“Allow me to cut and braid your hair. It will catch fire easily or get trapped beneath a RockCube.”

“Yes, master…” he muttered strangely, two voices echoing.

He followed his mentor to another section of the grand area where he kneeled on a HolyPanel as a simple Sword materialised and began to slowly slice away at the untidy length. As Serenade cut at his hair, the Navi stared ahead at the mist-smothered distances, listening to a strange flute-like tune that constantly filled the air and hummed with a sense of peace.

“I thought that your memories would come back, but they haven’t…” Serenade remarks.

Even the burgundy Navi wondered what life was like before waking up in this chaotic area, but his core aches everytime curiosity of the outside world rouses voices from so seemingly long ago.

Tresses of long hairs fell upon his broad shoulders and the metal guards protecting his upper arm, new bodily features that Serenade had installed into his programming.

“Master…?” he spoke up, uncertain.

“Yes?”

“You are known as ‘Serenade’ by equals and ‘S’ by those who fear you. What is my name?”

Even Serenade paused before gently raking his fingers through the mane, trying to straighten it out at all sides and walked in front of him to give his fringe a quick trim, smiling.

“It’s up to you. I may have been entrusted with you, but I cannot take away the precious right of self-identity.”

“You can’t because I don’t even know who I’m supposed to be,” his servant utters.

“Interesting choice of words -  _ ‘WHO I’m supposed to be?’ _ What made you say it in that particular manner?”

“It… I don’t know how to explain it… I feel distant, but no matter where I am, I never feel alone. It’s like… like when your other loyal subjects embrace after being apart for so long, and they look at each other like they’re living compatible programs.”

Serenade stooped to kneel on the burgundy Navi’s right-hand side, seeing the ugly purple-scars on his right cheek and neck compiled of damaged data that never healed properly. They carried on trimming the longer hairs that were missed.

“Have you ever felt alone before?”

“No,” the male said, sounding surprised. “But those embraces? I always feel like I’m in one and it’s not because the extensions you built into me are heavy or anything, in fact they’re perfectly lightweight and durable.” The God of the Undernet giggled, lopping off a huge chunk of ash-grey hair.

“So you never feel alone even though you physically are most of the time you’ve spent here and you forgot your memories of life before 6 months ago… Doesn’t it occur to you that you’re nothing like other Navis around here?”

“I’m not… they’re far more powerful and skilled than I am-”

Laughing, Serenade interrupted him, pressing a finger to his lips and being met with a horribly-confused look.

“Oh, you silly Navi… If only you knew what you really are…”

Then Serenade simply carried on cutting more of the hairs, but then the Sword vanished and they began to manipulate the back-length tresses into weaves.

“What are you doing, master?”

“It’s important to your identity that your hair is kept long, is it not?”

The burgundy Navi smiled without realising it. “It is…”

“Excellent! Although the style will be different from your old one-”

“I had an older style?”

“-It will suit your new form much better. You’re more agile, stronger and smarter, and the new look will give you a fresh start to your new life.”

The flute-like tune continued to play in the air from somewhere obscure through the silence until his servant faced him with curiosity with those red-tinted blue eyes.

“Master… You know who I used to be, didn’t you?”

A smile quirks Serenade’s lips.

“I do. But it’s vital that you learn for yourself because that’s how you used to operate… According to one Dr Yuuichiro Hikari.”

“H...Hikari…?” he murmured and his hand rose to rest against his symbol - a simple greyscale design with an infinity loop placed over a single jagged line running through it. His core throbbed and he grunted, feeling his eyes water.

Serenade said nothing, watching the conflict in his face until they heard frantic footsteps from nearby and hooded figures stopped to bow before them.

“Rise, followers. What is going on?” Serenade says coolly and the head of the group leapt to her feet.

“L-L-Lord S! It’s that group Pollux - we’ve received intelligence that they’re going to make an attempt to send someone down here to obtain your powers!”

The burgundy Navi shot Serenade a look, startled at how his master simply reacted with a ‘tch’ like they encountered a minor inconvenience.

“Keep investigating all members of the group and pass on the tips to the NetSaviours so they THEY will deal with the rabble. I will keep out of this Pollux business and protect this area.”

The hooded figures bowed again before teleporting elsewhere.

“Pollux…”

Serenade turned to face the Navi, whose eyes have grown huge as his mouth hung open. His hand shook and the God beside him noticed flickers of data passing over the pupils - memories?

“Who are Pollux?” they ask softly.

“They’re… a group…” his voice hissed, trying to calm down his clenching throat and screaming scars. “They… Their goal is to obtain immortality. They use different tactics to attack Navis, programs and--” He gasped before bursting out: “And humans!”

“Correct,” Serenade nods, crossing their arms. “What will you do with that information?”

“You said that you’ll keep out of the way of Pollux and have someone else deal with them, but you’re extremely powerful. You’re the most powerful Navi I’ve ever known. You can easily wipe them out, yet it seems like you’re choosing not to.”

“It’s vital that I keep the Secret Area from falling into the wrong hands,” they explain.

A Variable Sword suddenly materialised from the burgundy Navi’s right arm and Serenade smirked.

“But I forget that deep down under that handsomely cool exterior, you have a heart of magma.”

“Master… I will go to the surface Net and find out more on Pollux.”

“Why?”

“Because I KNOW that I fought them before!” he burst and his left hand slaps over his purpled cheek. “They did this to me, didn’t they?! They scarred me in a fight that almost deleted me and destroyed parts of my body!”

“Is that your only reason for going to fight them?”

“No. It’s also because they’re a threat to you. I’ll do anything to protect you, master. But unfortunately I’ll have to leave and take the fight to them in order to make that happen. And because of the others too.”

“The others?” Serenade utters.

But his ward fell quiet, eyes misting over in deep thought at an obscure memory of someone scolding him for stealing from the fridge…

“There are humans I know personally…”

“True. What have they done for you, though?”

“A lot of things!” he answered, “I fought with them, ate with them, argued with them, helped them as much as they helped me, I mourned someone’s deletion but they came back and I felt complete--” the ash-haired Navi gulps, hand trembling over his symbol. “I-I have to find them… I see faces… Their names aren’t clear to me, but I know that I must fight alongside them!”

“Is it the same feeling of wanting to fight by my side?” Serenade wonders softly.

“It is - but trust me, master, I’ll dedicate all of my heart to protecting you and this area, it’s just that I feel that I have an important mission that I haven’t accomplished yet.”

Smiling, Serenade reached over to hold his gloved hands, making eye contact.

“I understand. Come with me. Now is the right time for you to leave.”

* * *

 

The Navi has seen this particular area various times, watching comrades teleport via the warp pad to leave the Secret Area, but he was told that he’s forbidden from using it… up until now.

“There’s a warp pad that leads to Under Square, but THIS one will take you someplace random on the Net. With my power though I can teleport you someplace else directly at will. Where do you wish to go to that you remember?”

“I can see the place in my mind, but I don’t know the domain or webpage name.”

“That’s good enough. Step on the pad.”

The burgundy Navi did as he was told, watching the warp pad glow softly beneath his jutti-style shoes before meeting Serenade’s dark eyes and their aura shone brightly with outstretched hands.

“Visualise the place in your mind. If it’s the first thing you’re thinking of, then it’ll be of vital importance for your mission.”

“I promise I’ll return to you as soon as I defeat Pollux.”

But Serenade chuckled.

“Don’t make promises you can’t keep… You’ll have to meet certain requirements in order to reach this holy area once you leave.”

“I know I definitely have friends who can help me.”

“One last thing I must ask of you before I send you off…”

The energy field intensified, shaking the burgundy Navi to his core.

“What is it, master?”

“...What is your name from here on out until you discover your real names?”

Surprised filled his face, but sensing that the pulsing energy is slowly breaking his data apart to send to the warm place in his mind, he quickly answered with “Crescendo!” exclaimed in deeply-rooted pride until he blinked in confusion, saying: “...Did you just say ‘names’?”

Serenade grinned before clapping their hands together, instantly warping poor Crescendo elsewhere with a vast burst of silvery energy.

As soon as the pieces of data vanished, the powerful Navi groaned.

“I’m going to miss him tailing after me like a baby Spikey…”

* * *

 

Crescendo opened his eyes, looking around a blue-themed webpage that made his heart race at resuring memories trying to make themselves known. This place is strange to him, but he put it down to not remembering visiting a page on the surface web before. But then he saw someone organising files mid-air with soft humming and he froze, recognising the blue Navi as he turned around and let out a startled scream, dropping a bucket full of junk data.

“W-w-wait! I-I’m friendly!” the burgundy Navi blurted quickly and the panicking homepage occupant panted heavily, staring at him with huge green eyes.

“Y-y-y-y-y-y-you’re not a ghost?! You’re not haunting me?!”

“I’m not a ghost!” Crescendo insisted, resting his hand over his symbol before moving it aside and stepping cautiously closer to the other Navi. “I’ll prove it to you - touch my symbol.”

But the blue Navi stared at his face, examining his features, his purpled scars, the reds in his eyes and the overall physique before his own eyes watered as he reached out hesitantly, resting the palm of his hand on Crescendo’s chest.

“Enzan…? Blues…? Am I dreaming…?”

Crescendo snapped to attention with a gasp, but warmth filled his chest as quickly as tears filled his eyes to the mountain of memories crashing down on his psyche.

“No. I’m--” But he coughed, correcting himself with a smile. “We’re home… Saito.”

Inhaling, still confused as hell, Rock let out a cry and flung himself into the fusion’s arms for a long-awaited reunion.

**Author's Note:**

> Also, I wanna thank my good friend cinnamononions for influencing me and my writing in my latest fixation on the series.
> 
> Please file any complaints for emotional damage to the comment section. Thank y'all and have a great day!


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